Russia-Ukraine crisis 2022, how it happened ? Putin attacks Ukraine;- After months of military buildup at Ukraine’s border, Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine.
On Wednesday, explosions were heard near Kyiv. The Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy claimed that Russia had carried out strikes against military infrastructure and border guards in Donbas.
Russia-Ukraine crisis how it happened?
This attack was met with international condemnation. It comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared two regions in eastern Ukraine that were held by pro-Russian rebels independent states. He also ordered troops to enter the territories.
Here’s a list of all the events reported so far:
03.00 GMT – Putin declares invasion
Putin declares an attack on Donbass and asks Ukraine’s military for its surrender.
Russia’s leader warns that countries who try to interfere with Russian actions will face “consequences they have not seen”.
Russia-Ukraine Crisis
03.35 GMT – International condemnation
US President Joe Biden condemned Moscow’s “unprovoked” and “unjustified” attack against Ukraine and pledged that the world would “hold Russia responsible.” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg agrees with Biden’s statements, while Antonio Guterres of the United Nations pleads for Russia to “hold Russia accountable”. Biden also promised support to Ukraine and its citizens in a telephone call to Zelenskyy.
04.00 GMT – Ukraine Minisrty of Infrastructure announces that passengers and staff have been evacuated from the airport in Kyiv
04.15 GMT – Explosions heard close to Kyiv and elsewhere
Andrew Simmons, Al Jazeera‘s correspondent in Ukraine, reports that at least seven loud explosions were heard near Boryspil International Airport.
Artillery fire can be heard in the east near Kharkiv, and there are also explosions nearby.
04.30 GMT – Ukraine claims Russia launched a ‘full-scale invasion’
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, stated that Russia launched a “full-scale invasion” of Ukraine and targeted cities with weapon strikes.
Russia-Ukraine Crisis 2022
04.41 GMT – Kyiv mayor asks citizens to return home after an explosion in capital.
04.45 GMT – Ukraine closes its entire airspace to protest against the Russian military intervention in Donbass.
05:00 GMT – Russia says targeting ‘junta’ in Kyiv
An emergency Security Council meeting is held in which Russia’s Ambassador to the UN explains that Moscow’s military operation against Ukraine was directed at “the junta” currently in power in Kyiv.
Vassily Nebenzia says, “I wanted to conclude that we aren’t aggressive against the Ukrainian people, but against the ruling junta in Kiyv.”
05 GMT: Russian-backed separatists claim they attacked the Ukraine-controlled town
Russian-backed separatists claim they launched offensives against the Ukrainian-controlled city of Shchastia, Luhansk Province, and against Ukrainian forces along the line of contact in Donetsk. According to Russia’s Interfax news agency,
05.25 GMT – Russia threatens to attack Ukraine’s military facilities using ‘precision weapons
In a statement released by Russian news agencies, the defense ministry stated that “Military infrastructure and air defence facilities, as well as military airfields and the aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, are being disarmed with high-precision weaponry.”
5:30 GMT: Russia suspends domestic flights from airports close to Ukraine border until March 2.
05.45 GMT – Ukraine: Eastern units under intense shelling
According to Ukraine’s defense minister, Ukrainian units, military control centers and airfields are being heavily shelled by Russia.
06:00 GMT: Ukraine declares troops attacked from Belarus
According to the Ukraine border guard, Russia is attacking Ukraine from Belarus and Russia.
06:05 GMT – Zelenskyy declares martial law
Zelenskyy gives a short national address in which he states that Russia “conducted strikes against our military infrastructure” and “our border guards”, and then introduces martial law throughout Ukraine.
Zelenskyy Declares Martial Law
06.15 GMT – Poland claims it expects NATO to strengthen its eastern flank
A spokesperson for the Polish government said that Poland is expecting a decision to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank following Russian forces having invaded Ukraine.
“Now is the right time to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank. Piotr Müller stated that such decisions are expected to be made.
06.20 GMT – Russia claims it has reduced Ukraine’s air defense
According to Russian news agencies, Russia’s defense ministry claims it attacked the military infrastructure of Ukrainian airbases and damaged Ukraine’s air defenses. These claims cannot be independently verified.
Another report that one of its planes was shot down over Ukraine by the ministry is also denied.
06.48 GMT – Separatists claim the capture of Ukrainian towns
Russian-backed separatists have claimed to have taken the towns of Shchastia Luhanska and Stanytsia Luhanska, in Ukraine’s Luhansk region, according to the RIA news agency. Authorities in Ukraine did not immediately comment.
07:00 GMT: Ukraine claims to have taken down Russian planes
According to the Ukrainian military, it claimed that it had shot down five Russian aircraft and one helicopter in Luhansk. This claim cannot be independently verified.
07.15 GMT – Ukraine: Russian military hardware enters from Crimea
Ukraine claims that Russia moved military equipment into its country from annexed Crimea, and that Russia was bombarding the country along the entire way to Lviv in western Ukraine.
07:15 GMT – Ukraine claims at least eight victims of Russian shelling
According to Reuters news agency, at least eight people were killed and nine others were injured by Russian shelling.
According to the border guard, separate Russian military columns crossed into Ukraine’s border into Chernihiv (Kharkiv) and Luhansk.
07.44 GMT – Russian-backed separatists say their goal is to capture Ukrainian territories
According to Interfax news agency, a Russian-backed separatist leader in eastern Ukraine stated that their main goal was to retake control of all regions of Luhansk or Donetsk, where their separate territories are located.
08.25 GMT – Security camera footage of Russian military vehicles entering Ukraine from Russian-annexed Crimea
08:48 GMT – Kyiv announces that anyone who is able to hold a weapon may join the territorial defense forces
Oleksii Reznikov, Ukrainian Defense Minister, stated that anyone who can hold a weapon is eligible to join the ranks. The police also said they would distribute weapons for veterans.
09.00 GMT – Mariupol mayor: Three ‘peaceful persons’ were killed in a village near the airport
Vadym Boychenko (the mayor of Mariupol) stated that three “peaceful persons” were killed in Russian attack near the city’s international airport.
He also injured a child and others.
“I want you to be reassured that our military spirit remains at its highest levels. He said that nobody would surrender Mariupol and that they would defend the city and its land.
09:30 GMT: Zelenskyy urges citizens to fight
Ukrainian President urged citizens to stand up for their country against Russian forces and called on all to do so. Kyiv said that it would give weapons to anyone who requests them.
Zelenskyy also exhorted Russians to protest the war.
